Antifreeze poisoning

It’s also known as engine coolant. Although water-base antifreeze also contains liquid alcohols like. It is also called engine coolant. This article discusses poisoning caused by swallowing antifreeze. Ethylene glycol poisoning is poisoning caused by drinking ethylene glycol.

Early symptoms include intoxication, vomiting and abdominal pain. Later symptoms may include a decreased level of consciousness, headache, and seizures. Ingestion is the main path of entry into the body. Sources of ethylene glycol include automotive antifreeze (radiator coolant, which typically contains ethylene glycol), windshield deicing agents, motor oils, hydraulic brake flui developing solutions for photography, paints, solvents, etc. Most cases are seen in dogs and cats, but this can also occur in humans, most classically in curious children who drink antifreeze because it tastes sweet.

Always follow the instructions provided by your veterinarian. An antifreeze is an additive which helps to lower the freezing point of liquids by achieving freezing point depression and boiling point elevation thus allowing higher coolant temperature. Slurred speech, stupor, rapid heartbeat, low blood pressure, and problems with vision. Diethylene Glycol Diethylene glycol (DEG)is another chemical that is potentially toxic to your pet’s kidneys. Roni Holewinski, CVT Industry Representative.

While there may be a variety of different “antifreezes” used in today’s automotive antifreeze products, ethylene glycol poses the greatest risk to pets and is what we’re discussing in this post. The liver quickly breaks down ethylene glycol into toxic products that can lead to kidney failure and death. The main issue is that the initial sweet taste of the substance will encourage the dog to drink a toxic amount before the owner can even notice it is happening.

We begin with the shocking trial of the cleveland mother who has been charged with murdering her fiance, by poisoning his iced tea with antifreeze. Once ethylene glycol (EG) is metabolized into oxalic acid and binds with calcium in the bloo it forms calcium oxalate crystals that are deposited in the kidneys. A breathing machine (respirator) may be needed.

Dogs caught in the act of drinking antifreeze have the best chance of survival because your vet will know 1 what he is treating and medical attention can be administered immediately. Only small amounts of antifreeze are dangerous if swallowed. For several hours, everything seems fine. But the body is busy breaking down the antifreeze (ethylene glycol) into a number of substances that affect blood chemistry, nervous system, and kidneys. All animals are susceptible to ethylene glycol (EG) toxicity, but it is most common in dogs and cats.

Most intoxications are associated with ingestion of antifreeze , which is typically EG. These commercial antifreeze preparations are diluted ~ with water when used in vehicle cooling. An antifreeze mixture is used to achieve freezing-point depression for cold environments and also achieves boiling-point elevation (anti-boil) to allow higher coolant temperature.

In other words, it is an engine coolant. During the first few hours after ingesting this substance, a person may have gastrointestinal problems and act intoxicated. As the body breaks the substance. But just one 6ml teaspoon could be enough to kill a cat. Dogs are most likely to be poisoned if they ingest it (though it technically can be absorbed through the skin).

To avoid it being fatal, you should know the symptoms to look for so your dog can receive immediate treatment. It only takes a couple of drops for a dog to suffer from antifreeze poisoning. Antifreeze : - humanesociety.

Cats cannot taste sweet things but still appear to find the taste of antifreeze attractive for some reason, leading them to ingest the substance.

Affected cats can show a range of signs, which vary with the progression and severity of the poisoning. Automotive coolants typically include the chemical ethylene glycol. This chemical is comparable in structure to alcohol, so that signs of intoxication are similar to those of drunkenness. During the winter we try to prevent freezing by using ethylene glycol, otherwise known as antifreeze , in car radiators and in some screen washes and de-icers. For cats, antifreeze has a sweet taste, which encourages them to drink a lot of it.

Ingesting antifreeze can also cause irreversible kidney damage in pets. If you can recognize the signs of poisoning quickly, you can give your animal a fighting chance. The preferred antidote for treating ethylene glycol poisoning has been discontinued!

Just one teaspoon is enough to kill a cat. We look at the symptoms and treatment. The main ingredient in antifreeze is ethylene glycol, an organic compound known for its. It may be found leaking under cars in the heat of summer or after engine maintenance.

The dangers of antifreeze can’t be overstated. Here’s everything you need to know about this product — including how to keep your animal companions safe from its toxic properties. This compound is used as a radiator fluid for cooling up engines in automobiles. The bottom half of this webpage gives some treatment info (it does say teaspoon of antifreeze is enough to kill a cat).

This occurs when animals and humans ingest the poisonous substance, ethylene glycol, found in antifreeze. With all the heavy snow storms hitting the United States this season, Americans are doing all they can to combat the cold. One of the most common ways to keep your pipes, vehicles, and other utilities at home safe from the harsh winter winds is by using antifreeze. There are several household items that are toxic to our dogs or cats, one of the most problematic being antifreeze.

Overview EMERGENCY Contact your vet straight away if you think your pet has come into contact with antifreeze. Even the smallest amount of antifreeze can cause kidney failure and death when ingested by cats. Accidents from accidental spillages can be avoided by storing bottles safely, cleaning up spillages instantly and disposing of antifreeze products responsibly. Breathing the fumes of antifreeze can cause, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, eye and respiratory tract irritation but is unlikely to cause systemic toxicity.

The harmful chemical within antifreeze that causes these side effects is called ethylene glycol. APPEARANCE: Clear, colorless, syrupy (viscous) liquid at room temperature. Often colored fluorescent yellow-green when used in automotive antifreeze. Learn how UpToDate can help you. What is anti-freeze poisoning ? Anti-freeze refers to the liquid coolant used in automotive engines.

The active compound in most anti-freeze liquids is ethylene glycol. The three main systems affected by ethylene glycol poisoning are the central nervous system, metabolic processes, and the kidneys. However, these are the side effects of INGESTING (taking by mouth) ethylene glycol, the active ingredient in antifreeze.